When launched, the EOS-M complete with the EF-M 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 IS STM zoom was $899, but the kit can now be had for as little as $345. With lens available separately for $269 that sounds too good to be true. Read on to see how well the combination performs.

After a raft of critical reviews and user feedback reporting of tardy AF, Canon’s first mirrorless camera hasn’t been quite the success the firm envisaged. Nevertheless, Canon has since released new firmware enhancing the camera’s AF performance while at the same time dramatically lowering the price. As a result, the EOS-M is now a much more convincing option than it was at the time of its launch. Canon has yet to divulge a road map and so the strategy for cameras and lenses remains unclear, a fact not helped by the small group of lenses available (just three, including one prime). However, the $139 EF-EOS M mount adaptor allows the firm’s EF and EF-S lenses to be used without restrictions, making the tiny camera a more viable option for existing Canon DSLR users. The one zoom announced at the launch, the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM is stabilized and adopts the firm’s new stepper motor technology for smooth and near silent autofocus during video. The optical formula consists of 13 elements in 11 groups, focuses to 0.25m and is priced separately at $269.

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